It isn't a question of if the camps can be cleaned. With regard to the camp across from Capital Lake (on Deschutes Parkway), it has already been done at least once in the past few months, and many brand new tents were donated around the same time. Many of those tents have since disappeared, and the camp descended into disrepair in rather short order.
The main issue I see with your idea of working with camp residents is that it assumes that there is a responsible and stable population of specific individuals with whom the City can collaborate. I frequently walk the Capitol Lake loop, and none of the folks I have encountered meet this description.
That's one reason why a longer-term plan (such as relocating the camp to a safer and more appropriate location than the side of the road and perhaps hiring one or two responsible residents as safety officers) should be formulated before committing resources to cleaning it up yet again. If the City simply cleans the existing camp up, and then a few months later it is once again in a state of uncleanliness, then everyone will rightly wonder why more thought wasn't put into how to maintain a cleaner and safer environment. That is a recipe for growing resentment and negativity within the community at large, and it should be avoided. We need a good action plan first.
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